dsi1 wrote:

> On Monday, April 30, 2018 at 4:40:32 PM UTC-10, Ed Pawlowski wrote:
> >
> > As described, it sounds wonderful. Some people are paying much more for
> > poor coverage. some cannot go to the doctor they had for years, etc.
> > If you cannot afford to buy insurance you get a $700 penalty. Far from
> > perfect.
>
> In a perfect world insurance payments would be reasonable and affordable. All that needs to be done is to not insure people that drain insurance companies of its valuable cash reserves. Obviously that means old folks and sickly people with pre-existing conditions. Poor folk, white and colored, would have to be thrown under the bus too. Expensive procedures would be allowed only if the patient has enough dough in the bank to pay for it. Of course, convenient payment will be made available to folks with lots of collateral to guarantee repayment.
>
> While we're at it, let's give corporations a whopping tax break. Obviously, it's going to be paid by raiding the medicare system. It's like free money, man! Who's going to stop that from happening? Nobody. The young folks will support this and who cares about old farts anyway? It's all so very perfect!


Switzerland has an excellent health care system, totally privately - run. The government only requires that everyone purchase health insurance from a privately - run insurance company, so no Medicare/Medicaid type programs, no employer - provided insurance. Low incomers get subsidies to help pay for their insurance, if they eventually become higher income, they must eventually re-pay those subsidies. Every insurance company must offer a "basic" plan, and must offer to all customers, they make their money on the "bells and whistles" plans.

Participation is "encouraged" by the dire penalties for a citizen who fails to buy health insurance - the government has the ability to garnish wages, sue, seize assets, and even jail someone who refuses to buy in, so the participation rate is virtually 100%.

We all have our own individual cell phone plans, we makes our choice and we pays our money...Switzerland's health insurance market runs on the same principles.

--
Best
Greg